Iran strongly pushed back on a warning from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Iran might face serious military consequences if they don’t agree to a new nuclear deal soon.
The U.S. and Iran have been talking on and off, trying to find a way to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, but the U.S., Israel, and European countries are not convinced and worry that Iran might be secretly working toward building a bomb.
This issue became more urgent because Trump, now back in the spotlight during a major visit to Middle Eastern countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, is pushing hard to reach a new deal with Iran. He’s asked the leaders of these countries to help make it happen.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, responded to Trump’s threats by saying that the U.S. hasn’t attacked because it knows Iran is strong and can defend itself. He said the U.S. chose to talk instead of fight because it can’t force Iran into submission with military power.
Even though Trump said they’re close to a deal, Araghchi made it clear that Iran won’t give up its right to enrich uranium, a key part of its nuclear program. He said Iran considers that right non-negotiable and tied to the pride and independence of its people.
At the same time, another senior Iranian official, Ali Shamkhani, gave a more hopeful message in an interview with NBC News. He said Iran is ready to agree to never build nuclear weapons, reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium, only enrich uranium to levels needed for peaceful energy purposes, and allow international inspectors to monitor everything. In return, Iran wants the U.S. and other countries to remove economic sanctions.
When asked if Iran would sign that kind of agreement right now, Shamkhani said yes.
Trump, speaking in Qatar, downplayed the seriousness of Iran’s nuclear program, saying Iran “sort of” agreed not to make what he called “nuclear dust”a term he used casually to mean nuclear weapons.
Still, Trump has been clear that any deal must include Iran giving up any future plans for nuclear weapons. He added that Iran must also stop supporting terrorist groups and end its involvement in violent conflicts through allies in other countries.
In short, Iran says it won’t be bullied and is standing firm on its rights. But at the same time, its leaders are signaling they might be open to compromise—if the U.S. is willing to lift sanctions. The situation remains tense but could be moving toward a possible agreement.
